"Li Bin just came to my house," Yao Jing's voice came through the phone, reaching Wu Zhiming's ears.
"I saw him as I was getting off the elevator," Wu Zhiming replied.
"So, I didn't plan to stay at my mom's tonight. I'm going to stay at Siqing's place for the night. I might be there for the next few days," Yao Jing said.
"Okay..." Wu Zhiming nodded.
After a moment of silence on the other end of the line, Yao Jing asked, "Aren't you worried about me at all?"
"Will you leave me?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"No."
"Then that's it. You won't leave me, so I have no reason to worry. If you would leave me, then you wouldn't be worth worrying about. So, there's no need to worry," Wu Zhiming said with a smile.
"I'm really sorry about my mom. I couldn't stop her," Yao Jing said apologetically.
"She's just an old lady who wants the best for her daughter. It's alright," Wu Zhiming reassured her.
"Thank you," Yao Jing said softly.
"Okay, I have something to take care of now," Wu Zhiming said, and then he hung up the phone.
Wu Zhiming didn't have much of a good impression of Zhou Yanqiu. He had long been aware of the connection between Zhou Yanqiu and Li Bin, but he hadn't said anything about it. Firstly, their interactions were limited to exchanging gifts and encouraging Yao Jing to divorce, nothing more. Secondly, Zhou Yanqiu was Yao Jing's mother, and out of respect for Yao Jing, he chose to ignore her antics. They hadn't caused any substantial harm, so there was no need to pay her any mind.
On the other hand, Yao Jing's reaction pleased Wu Zhiming. This woman didn't hide anything from him, which was a good thing.
As the car sped towards Provincial Road 4399, Wu Zhiming looked out the window, his mind curious.
Who exactly wanted to kill Ren Xuesong?
The most likely reason was a vendetta from the underworld, given Ren Xuesong's ties to the criminal world. However, other possibilities couldn't be ruled out.
Meanwhile, in Rongjin City, at the Shen family's estate.
The Shen family was a prestigious clan in Rongjin City, ranking among the top three with significant wealth.
Years ago, when the Shen family married Shen Hongyue off to Wu Zhennan, they became a laughingstock for many.
Now, with Shen Hongyue returning to the Shen family in disgrace after leaving Haixia City, the mockery of that marriage from over two decades ago resurfaced.
Once again, the Shen family became the subject of ridicule.
In the courtyard of the Shen family estate.
Shen Sichong, the head of the family, had a dark expression.
In front of him, one person knelt while another stood.
The one kneeling was a member of the Shadow Hunting Group, and the one standing was his son, Shen Tingbai.
"So, you're saying all our new recruits in the foreign battlefield have been killed?" Shen Sichong asked.
"Yes, not a single one survived. They were all killed," the kneeling man replied.
"Who did it?" Shen Sichong inquired.
"They were killed by people from different factions," the kneeling man continued.
"That's strange!" Shen Sichong frowned. "Why would people from different factions simultaneously target our Shadow Hunting Group's new recruits? And those were just newcomers we sent!"
"Father, according to my information, those people from different factions all received calls from a certain individual, which led them to attack our Shadow Hunting Group's recruits almost simultaneously," Shen Tingbai said.
"Simultaneously?" Shen Sichong's pupils slightly contracted. "It seems our Shadow Hunting Group has offended some big shot in the foreign battlefield! From now on, temporarily halt the recruitment of new forces to the foreign battlefield. Shift the training of recruits to domestic operations. Also, order all Shadow Hunting Group members worldwide to return to the provincial capital. The Imperial City will soon relay some news. The Dragon Kingdom will soon become very lively. Even though we missed the Wu family in Haixia City, it doesn't mean we are out of the game!"
"Understood! Father, what about Wu Zhiming?" Shen Tingbai asked.
"Based on the intelligence we have, there's indeed someone backing Wu Zhiming," Shen Sichong said, narrowing his eyes.
"Who?" Shen Tingbai asked.
"Dong Jian!" Shen Sichong's eyes flashed with intensity.
"Dong Jian? Zhixing's former secretary?!" Shen Tingbai was astonished.
"Yes!" Shen Sichong nodded. "I just got the news that Dong Jian comes from that place!! Dong Jian is a deep thinker. I think he's also interested in the upcoming event, which is why he supported Wu Zhiming early on and quietly got close to Zhixing. With his intelligence, he earned Zhixing's trust and became his top confidant. With Dong Jian's help, Zhixing and your sister were so easily defeated! I never imagined that Dong Jian would be from that place. This is our biggest oversight!"
"Should we get rid of Dong Jian?" Shen Tingbai asked.
"Given that our Shadow Hunting Group's new recruit training system was just destroyed, and someone has already targeted the Shadow Hunting Group, it might even be targeting our Shen family. We mustn't act rashly. I suspect there may be others behind Dong Jian!" Shen Sichong said.
"Understood!" Shen Tingbai nodded.
"Be patient. Once Wu Zhiming enters the provincial capital, no matter how much support he has from Dong Jian, it won't matter. I can still make him beg for life while wishing for death!" Shen Sichong said coldly.
"When the time comes, leave the task of ending his life to me!" Shen Tingbai said.
"Agreed!"
**Inside Jingyuan Community**
Liu Ning put down the phone, his face pale.
"What did the traffic police say? What was the cause of the fire?" Feng Lijuan asked anxiously.
"The fire started because the dirty water from the trash at the door seeped into the room, soaked into the plug on the floor, causing it to short circuit and eventually start a fire. The fire was entirely our fault and has nothing to do with Wu Zhiming. We have to bear the loss ourselves," Liu Ning said, his voice trembling.
Feng Lijuan's face also turned deathly pale.
Her shop was closed, and the internet was flooded with videos of them spitting into the food. They would probably never be able to work in this industry again. The two valuable houses they owned were destroyed in the fire, and they would need to spend a large amount of money to renovate if they wanted to live there again…
In any case, their career and their life had suffered a severe blow.
The two looked at each other and finally hugged each other, crying bitterly.
If they had known it would come to this, they wouldn't have bullied Wu Zhiming. It all started with that bag of trash they threw at his door yesterday.
On National Highway 4399
A black Volkswagen Phaeton sped along the road.
Two other SUVs followed closely behind, maintaining a very short distance from each other.
Inside the Volkswagen Phaeton, Ren Xuesong lay in the back seat, breathing heavily.
His shirt was stained red with blood from his abdomen. His bodyguard sat beside him, pressing down on the wound to prevent more blood from flowing out.
"How far are we from the nearest police station?" Ren Xuesong asked.
"Boss, we're on a national highway. The nearest police station is still fifty kilometers away!" The driver said, his face pale.
"The heavens want me dead," Ren Xuesong muttered bitterly. Earlier that night, he had gone to his rural hometown to have dinner with his parents. After dinner, he was ambushed as soon as he stepped out. The attackers were formidable; all three of his fifth-rank martial artists were killed. The last one, a sixth-rank bodyguard, had desperately brought him back to the car. That bodyguard, now sitting next to him, had intended to drive them into the city, but their route was blocked.
Left with no choice, they took the highway, moving away from the city.
The two cars behind them were the attackers, persistently chasing them, determined not to let him escape.
"Boss, we only have enough fuel for another twenty kilometers!" the driver said.
When it rains, it pours.
Ren Xuesong weakly replied, "Looks like we can't escape this time. Stop the car. Let me out, and you all can leave."
"Boss, if we leave you here, you'll be dead for sure!" the driver protested.
"At least you can still survive. The ones attacking me are ruthless, and they're all unfamiliar faces. Yang Sandao is dead, so it can't be his doing. The only possibility is that it's someone from the provincial capital. With both Yang Sandao and me dead, the underworld of Haixia City will fall into chaos, and they will take over. I expected them to act, but not so quickly. I miscalculated. One mistake, and there's no chance left."
As Ren Xuesong spoke, he reached for the door handle, only to find it locked.
"Boss, without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I can't just abandon you. If we must die, we'll die together! I've already called the police. There will be officers ahead to save us. We still have a chance if we keep driving!" the driver said passionately.
Ren Xuesong shook his head. If they had blocked their way back, there was no way they hadn't blocked the front as well.
As expected, after driving another seven or eight kilometers, rows of high beams appeared ahead.
The lights were lined up, blocking the entire road.
Ren Xuesong's car had to stop because, besides the cars, there were tire spikes on the road!
"Damn it, I'm going to fight them!" the driver gritted his teeth, opened the glove compartment, pulled out a gun, and rushed out of the car.
"Xiao Wu, don't be reckless," Ren Xuesong called out.
But it was too late.
Bang! Bang!
After two gunshots, there was silence.
Ren Xuesong closed his eyes in pain.
Outside, the lights were getting closer.
"Boss, the best I can do is die before you," the bodyguard sitting next to Ren Xuesong said solemnly.
"There's no need for that. You can still escape. You're a sixth-rank martial artist. They can't stop you," Ren Xuesong said.
"These attackers won't leave any survivors. I'll try to take down as many as I can, so we won't be lonely in the afterlife!" The bodyguard said as he opened the door and stepped out.
Outside, there were sounds of fighting and gunshots.
It didn't take long before the noises ceased, and the sound of cars and footsteps approached Ren Xuesong's vehicle.
Lying on the back seat, Ren Xuesong reached under the front seat and pulled out a grenade the size of his fist.